Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy Systems present a significant opportunity for landlords to offer value for their tenants and occupants whilst also reducing operational carbon across their portfolio, helping to bring properties into line with current standards and adding value to your property assets. As we’ll show, it really is a win-win for landlords.
Solar Photovoltaics (PV) are one of the most advanced renewable energy technologies and by far the most advantageous for landlords to consider. As soon as they are installed, you immediately start to benefit by saving money on the operational running costs of your building as they will reduce the amount of power that needs to be purchased from the national grid, which can be an extremely useful offset as energy tariffs continue to climb. In fact, on high production days (if you do not have battery storage for your own internal use), you may even make money from selling your excess power back to the grid.
Solar PV has the fastest return on investment of any onsite renewable energy generation, potentially in as little as 4 years and typically within 6 years. Ground source heat pumps for example, typically take 12 years. Modern panels are built to last; Garland UK’s Solarise System will still generate at least 80% of the initial output 25 years after installation, ensuring continued benefits for years to come.
Another great thing about Solar PV is that it allows you to fully utilise your existing unused roof, turning what is usually an inaccessible space into a positive asset for your whole building.
Solar PV yield analysis allows for a detailed and accurate assessment of the annual kWh output compared with the total cost of the investment of a proposed solar scheme. This provides a timeline for a return on investment (ROI) whilst also showing how much CO2 Emissions can be negated each year.
Let’s have a look at how this was applied to a recent Garland UK project, where a public sector client was looking to reduce the operational carbon and support the building’s overall environmental initiatives to achieve their Net-Zero goals.
The 5,000m2 roof refurbishment utilised Garland UK’s 100% recyclable metal roofing R-MER CLAD system to overclad the existing roofing structure, thus minimising the embodied carbon of the project and disruption to the operation of the building whilst improving the building’s thermal efficiency with new insulation.
A detailed assessment and calculations were carried out to see how solar PV could reduce the building’s operational carbon even further, the results of which are shown in the table on the right.
Whilst there can be no doubt about the benefits and savings that Solar PV systems can provide, the initial costs can be significant. However, Garland UK can assist you in sourcing financing options to help spread the cost of this investment.
Both leasing and hire purchase options are available for Solar, including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which offer a long-term contract between the energy producer and customer (property owner). A PPA can produce significant benefits for both parties, including an immediate reduction in energy costs, no capital investments, and reduced risk.
Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy Systems provide a low-risk investment for your building assets, helping to reduce operational carbon emissions and energy tariff overheads.
Garland UK can help you to benefit from this by conducting a detailed roof survey to assess the suitability of the existing roof asset to install Solar PV systems. We will provide PV yield analysis so you know the ROI and the number of carbon emissions that can be negated. We can help you source financing to spread the cost of the project. Our Technical Managers are always on hand to help you with any questions or problems that you may have and will take the lead in project managing the actual installation. We also have a network of approved, highly trained contractors who are well versed in PV installation.
Finally, our Solarise PV system comes complete with an industry-leading, 10-year Single-Point Guarantee, where Garland UK accepts the entire liability for the design, material and installation. In addition to this 10-year product cover, we guarantee your Solarise system’s performance and linear power output for up to 25 years.
“Solar PV really is a win-win for landlords, reducing carbon emissions whilst providing a fast return on your investment.”
Alex Copp, Technical Manager, Garland UK
